Illumina (Nasdaq:ILMN) today announced three innovative workflow solutions to support its MiSeq personal sequencer system. Designed for an optimal user experience, these products deliver a sequencing ecosystem that is unique in its level of integration and ease of use.

The three additions to the MiSeq ecosystem are:

TruSeq Custom Amplicon Kits, offering a scalable, multiplexed assay for rapid and cost-effective variant identification. Users can, in less than eight hours, prepare and enrich up to 384 amplicons per sample and up to 96 samples per plate simultaneously using standard lab equipment;

New Nextera(TM) DNA Sample Preparation Kits, delivering sequencing's fastest and easiest sample prep solution for a range of DNA sequencing applications in 90 minutes, less than a quarter of the time required for other platforms; and

BaseSpace(TM), a secure and customizable cloud computing environment that eliminates the need for onsite infrastructure by offering unlimited storage and computing power with data management, archive, analysis, and real-time sharing capabilities.

"The MiSeq platform continues to redefine the personal sequencer experience by providing researchers with complete, simple, and cost-effective solutions," said Jay Flatley, CEO of Illumina. "Whether you are new to sequencing or currently use capillary electrophoresis, the TruSeq Custom Amplicon Kit features a workflow that can seamlessly address your targeted sequencing needs. The addition of BaseSpace(TM) eliminates the need for expensive IT infrastructure, simplifying the process of adopting a personal sequencer for labs of any size and experience. We are excited about the ability of these products to remove significant barriers for technology adoption and accelerate the migration of sequencing from capillary electrophoresis to our next-gen platforms."

"The MiSeq was by far the best 'plug and play' instrument we've tested in over 20 years of instrumentation evaluation," said Elaine Mardis, Professor in Genetics and Molecular Microbiology Co-director, The Genome Institute at Washington University. "Within a week, we went from crate to installation and generated four runs with high data quality -- paired 150 base pair reads with 80% of bases greater than Q30. The high-quality, one-day turnaround will facilitate our applications development and bring next-generation sequencing one step closer to the clinic."

With Nextera and MiSeq users can go from DNA to analyzed data in less than eight hours. For custom amplicon sequencing, TruSeq Custom Amplicon Kits provide a highly multiplexed and cost-effective workflow, allowing studies that are not feasible using capillary electrophoresis sequencing methods to be completed in as little as two days with no additional hardware required. Researchers can design a custom assay to target up to 384 genomic regions in a single experiment using Illumina's DesignStudio(TM), an intuitive, online tool. In addition, pre-configured onboard data analysis allows for easy variant interpretation.

"We recently ran our samples on MiSeq using the TruSeq Custom Amplicon assay and generated excellent quality sequence data," says Sheila Fisher, Assistant Director of Technology Development at the Broad Institute. "The assay was really easy to use and generated deep and highly uniform coverage across our selected targets. We were particularly impressed with the assay's ability to deliver stunning specificity for the level of multiplexing in a single well. We think that Illumina's TruSeq Custom Amplicon Kits will be a highly cost-effective and scalable method for targeted re-sequencing projects looking at small to medium numbers of amplicons across 96 samples on a single MiSeq run."

In addition to onboard analysis on MiSeq, users now have the option to selectively share their results with scientists around the world using BaseSpace. BaseSpace is a secure, extensible cloud-based resource for managing all of a customer's data and analyses without the need for onsite computing infrastructure. MiSeq data can be seamlessly transferred to BaseSpace for scalable data storage, analysis, and sharing between researchers and their peers around the world, in a secure and user-friendly environment. Anyone interested in seeing MiSeq data in action can register for a free account at http://basespace.illumina.com, and can immediately explore the benefits of BaseSpace.

About MiSeq

Introduced in January 2011 and powered by proven TruSeq chemistry, MiSeq is Illumina's low-cost personal sequencer system that provides individual researchers with a platform that delivers rapid turnaround time, unmatched accuracy, and radically improved ease-of-use. For more information, please visit http://miseq.illumina.com.

About Illumina

Illumina (www.illumina.com) is a leading developer, manufacturer, and marketer of life science tools and integrated systems for the analysis of genetic variation and function. We provide innovative sequencing and array-based solutions for genotyping, copy number variation analysis, methylation studies, gene expression profiling, and low-multiplex analysis of DNA, RNA, and protein. We also provide tools and services that are fueling advances in consumer genomics and diagnostics. Our technology and products accelerate genetic analysis research and its application, paving the way for molecular medicine and ultimately transforming healthcare.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statements include challenges inherent in developing, manufacturing, and launching new products and services and the other factors that are detailed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, or in information disclosed in public conference calls, the date and time of which are released beforehand. We do not intend to update any forward-looking statements after the date of this release.